How Does Your Swing Compare to the Pros?

Recognized as one of the top golf schools in the United States, Rick Smith's elite team brings world-class golf instruction to South Florida's premier golf destination, Trump National Doral.

Having achieved outstanding success in the golf industry as a teacher, designer and communicator, Rick Smith has had the opportunity to coach some of the most accomplished golfers in the world who have collectively won eight major golf championships, including and just to name a few, Phil Mickelson, Lee Janzen, Rocco Mediate and Golfer of the Century, Jack Nicklaus.

So how does your swing compare to the pros? We have asked Rick Smith to dial in on the dos and don'ts of golf techniques to see where you stand on the course and properly prep for the season. He has picked one of the many ingredients of each category. For more detail on how you can play your best, visit Rick and his incredible team at Trump National Doral!

Putting

DO: Develop a pre-shot routine.

The best golfers in the world have the finest pre-shot routines. They read the slope of the green. They look at the break from behind an intended line, getting down low to the ground where you see things much clearer. They stand over a putt, visualizing the speed moving their eyes back and forth from the hole to their golf ball. They then perform a few practice strokes to feel the speed. The best putters aim the putter face to the intended line, trust it, and make no adjustments during their stroke. Their mechanics are good. They trust them and make speed their focus. Thus, eliminating 3 putts.

DON'T: Vary pre-shot routine.

The average putter usually fails to have a consistent pre-shot routine. They doubt their line, they doubt their speed, and they make adjustments during their stroke. They tend to utilize a new routine for each putt, causing inconsistencies which lead to a lack of putting confidence. The common golfer needs to spend more time practicing 3 things:

1. A consistent pre-shot routine.

2. Mechanics. Use a ruler on the ground to practice face alignment and make sure your stroke does not deviate from the path of the ruler.

3. Practice speed from different distances, uphill and downhill.

Short Game

DO: Vary your club selection.

The best golfers in the world are creative with their club selection around the greens. They use many different clubs depending on the lie and the slope of the green yet their motion and technique is constant from club to club. They also spend at least 60% of their time practicing their short game vs. simply hitting balls on the range.

DON'T: Get stuck using one club.

The average player tends to have one club they love and use regardless of the shot. They compensate by making many different swings, causing more room for error. This creates mistakes, inconsistencies and poor short game technique. The common golfer rarely spends enough time practicing short game, rehearsing proper techniques with a range of lies, green slopes and distances.

Long Drive

DO: Utilize a perfect set-up with good posture and proper alignment of the body and aim of the clubface.

The longest drivers on the PGA tour are very particular with regards to their address position. They have a perfect set up pre-swing, enhancing maximum distance. Their posture starts with a bending at the hips, with their back pockets up and out. Back is straight but tilted, the feet feel the ground as if they are ready to spring or sprint forward. They have a wider stance to support the speed of their arms and overall body motion. The arms and hands move freely without tightness in the wrists. Most importantly, the shoulders are aligned properly, not open (left of the target) or closed (right of the target). Lastly, they tilt the top of their spine away (towards the back foot) a touch in the address to swing the club head up a bit, thereby reducing spin and enhancing the launch angle for maximum distance.

DON'T: Fail to use a proper set-up.

The common golfer disregards this critical fundamental, and commonly fails to properly set-up to the ball. People who strive for distance get tight in the arms, hands and wrists. This excessive tension in the arms, hands and wrists actually leads to slower speeds. Consequently, they swing too hard, which causes loss of balance and many other errors. The common golfer also has poor posture and incorrect alignment. Many golfers who have poor posture and incorrect alignment hit down on the ball versus upwards, causing too much spin, which is not conducive to distance. All these pre-swing mistakes cost distance and must be corrected before you ever focus on your swing. It is crucial to focus on this pre-shot fundamental.

Iron Play

DO: Make distance control a priority.

The best in the world on the PGA tour have incredible distant control with their Iron play. They use three quarter swings, working on solid contact and hitting the center of the clubface. Their arms and body work beautifully together, which is key for consistency. Hitting the ball with solid contact allows the player to have accurate distance control.

DON'T: Disregard distance control.

The common golfer over-swings with a violent, attacking rhythm, making solid contact nearly impossible. They are constantly missing the center of the clubface, hitting many thin or fat shots and overall, they have inconsistent iron play with a lack of distance control.